Excess play, on n/s/r inner track-rod end.....help!

[Buggybloke]

I've recently been experiencing a slightly unsettling, intermittent amount of 'unstableness', 'twitchy' handling, and sometimes wheel-wobble on my Blitz2, more noticeable in the rain, or on uneven roads... on 1st examination, I thought it was  just down to play in the front swivel-joints, and a loose o/s/f wheel bearing... -this was partly the case, so I replaced bothe the bearings in the o/s/f hub, and the swivel-joints on both n/s, and o/s/f.... I thought, while I'm at it, I'll grease the rear suspension, and adjust the rear brakes (AGAIN!!!, they seem to wear down quickly...)
Okay, so I start on the o/s, no dramas.... BUT!!!!, on jacking up the n/s.... imagine my horror, as I see the whole wheel 'flop around', when the tyre comes up off the drive!.... no wear in wheel bearing or swivels as they are only 6 months old,... but side-to-side play, at the edge of the tyre is approx 1/2"!!!!!! ahhhhhh, what the F**K?..... on closer inspection, the inner end of the track rod, where it meets the end of the (locked) steering rack, is as slack/loose as can be!!!!
So I read the Haynes 'Bible'..... ah!, it seems that this end of the track rod assembly cannot be replaced by the 'home mechanic'.... only solution seems to be fit another new rack, new or secondhand, after cutting off the outer casing. Then I thought.... what system is used on the Freestyle?.... It appears some have 'brackets' and adjustable 'track rods' on both ends, or rose joints....
So, I'm wondering if anyone has a set kicking about in their garage/shed that they aren't needing, as my Blitz2 is my everyday transport, and obviously this seriously dodgy fault needs fixing at the soonest opportunity.....!
Obviously I'm willing to pay, a reasonable price for any useful parts....
Please help if you can,

Regards,
Matt

 

[Phaeton]

Matt, As you know I'm not that familiar with Blitz's but are you saying you have a steering rack across the back subframe locking off the rear wheels to stop them turning? If so the quick answer is another rack, not expensive my last one was under £30, from a motor factors, not sure if it was a re-con or new but it wasn't on an exchange basis. One of the issues which I have pointed out on the Freestyle & I think it holds for the Blitz is the track-rod ends etc. are not designed for the amount of stress we now put through them. When they are on the front & the wheels are being made to turn to turn the car I believe the forces are less than when fixed at the rear going round same corners (my theory only)

As to replacing the rack with a Freestyle setup I'm sure it can be done, I was going to get some of the plates made up but never got round to it, sorry.

Alan...

 

[Buggybloke]

Thanks Alan, ... looks like I'll be getting a secondhand one at the weekend, from our excellent and very reasonable 'Silverlake Motor Salvage', a company that has been in business for over 30 years now.... (secondhand, as it seems such a shame to cut open a brand-new rack, ...as it is only the inner section and inner track rods that are used....), unless I use my front one and get a new one for the front?.....

 

[Phaeton]

Put some pictures up so we can see what it actually is.

Alan...

 

[Asbo]

aye matt,some pictures would be handy. im a bit intrigued as to how its actually set up and wondering if theres an easier alternative,like the way its done on a freestyle  (with a bias towards the 'Phaeton motorsport' infinitely adjustable rose jointed aftermarket tiebars) 

 

[Buggybloke]

I'll try and do some pictures.... but basically, if you imagine a standard mini steering rack, stripped of it's outer casing, and then clamped with U-Bolts, to the rear or the subframe, (at rear of buggy, obviously!), the track rods which come out each end of the rack are then connected to the track rod ends, and then to steering arms as they would be in a normal mini, (or buggy!).... a relatively simple solution....-the inner part of the rack becomes a 'suspension location device' with the ability to allow tracking adjustment on the rear wheels.
I think it was a quick way round an engineering problem, when N.C.F. were adapting the design to fit an A Series Mini Engine/Transmission unit to the Blitz frame. Due to the fact that the inner track rod ends, (next to rack inner), only move in an up and down direction, when used in this way, they seem to be prone to premature wear. In normal set-up, at the front, and used for steering, they tend to move more as a ball and socket joint does, to the limits allowed by the outer track rod end. The current set-up is not helped by the fact there is nowhere, (currently), where the rubber protective boot could be secured, as it would usually be clipped over the ends of the rack's outer casing. My Blitz2 came to me like this, and I was at the time not fully aware of the unprotected, and exposed inner track rod ends, so if I fit a replacement rack inner, to solve the problem, I'll have to devise a means of fitting and sealing the boot in place, to allow it to retain some grease, and not wear out so quickly again....